Eagle County Charter Academy opens new $12 million building

State Senator Gail Schwartz, center, presents Eagle County Charter Academy principle, Kim Walter, left, with a new American flag to hang in the new school building during a tour of it with Chad Rayl, right, of JHL Constructors Thursday in Miller Ranch.

Principle Kim Walter, center, takes a phone call in the hallway of the newly constructed Eagle County Charter Academy building as cleaners work around her to get the building ready for the new school year Thursday in in Miller Ranch.

The old modular setup had 20 outside entrances — tough for security. The new building has one, and it stays locked. There’s a camera, and they’ll buzz you in.

The Hawks can now have their own sports teams; they used to play with Berry Creek Middle School. The gym might be the new building’s most impressive exercise in optimism. The basketball goals in the middle school gym have breakaway rims, the kind that don’t shatter backboards when you slam dunk too hard.

The seventh- and eighth-graders are in the same hall as the first- and second-graders. Walters said it’s designed as a mentor program, the older kids helping the younger ones.

The lockers don’t have locks on them, which Walter says reflects the school’s emphasis on integrity and honesty.

And because it’s still a school populated by kids, the energy-saving light switches turn themselves off.

Pete Incitti, of Larson Incitti Architects, designed the school, and JHL Constructors built the school. JHL’s Elmer Waldschmidt and Chad Rayl helped ride herd on the project.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vail daily.com.